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Disturbances in Body Image Estimation as Related to Other Characteristics and Outcome in Anorexia Nervosa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

Regina C. Casper
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Illinois State Psychiatric Institute, West Side Medical Center, 1601 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, Illinois 60625
Katherine A. Halmi
Affiliation:
University of Iowa College of Medicine, 500 Newton Road, Iowa City, Iowa 52242
Solomon C. Goldberg
Affiliation:
Psychopharmacology Research Branch, National Institutes of Mental Health, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rm. 9–105, Rockville, Maryland 20852
Elke D. Eckert
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Hospitals, Box 393 Mayo Bldg, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
John M. Davis
Affiliation:
University of Chicago, Illinois State Psychiatric Institute, West Side Medical Center, 1601 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, Illinois 60625

Summary

Body image distortion in 79 female anorexia nervosa patients were examined on a visual-size estimation apparatus during the emaciated stage of illness. Both they and an age-matched female control group overestimated their body widths, so this overestimation cannot be considered unique to anorexia nervosa. Among anorexia patients the degree of overestimation was associated with less weight gain during treatment, greater denial of illness, and several other pretreatment characteristics indicative of poor outcome.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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